Celebrating 30 Years of Special Bond between Bhutan and Japan

By Tshering Cigay Dorji

“Over there is where the ancient customs of Japan have remained intact” (“ そこは日本の古代
の風習がそのまま残っている所だ”) reads the synopsis of the book ‘Mysterious Bhutan’(秘
境ブータン) written by Dr Sasuke Nakao, the first Japanese to visit Bhutan officially in 1958.
This, in a nutshell sums up why the Japanese and the Bhutanese share this special bond of
friendship and a sense of brotherhood.
Bhutan and Japan are countries so far away from each other and so different in geography and
the level of development, but also very similar in many ways. We share a deep sense of
friendship and understanding for each other nurtured over decades of people to people
relationship that preceded the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1986.
The seed for this strong bond of friendship was auspiciously sown in the late 1950s and early
sixties by none other than our Royal Grandmother, Her Majesty Ashi Kesang Choeden
Wangchuck, the Royal Mother of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. Her Majesty extended a
warm welcome to the first Japanese to ever visit Bhutan officially, Dr Sasuke Nakao, Professor
at Osaka Prefecture University, in 1958 and provided assistance for him to travel for six months
in Bhutan studying about the different plants and flowers of Bhutan.

“Back in the days, travelling in Bhutan was arduous. Without motor roads and the absence of
hotels, everything had to be carried on horseback. The Professor’s visit was only possible
because of Her Majesty Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck’s assistance”, writes Tshering Tashi
in his article ‘Tsa-Tsa: A symbol of the Bhutan- Japan relationship’.

Then in 1962, Fumihiko Togo, Japan’s Consul General in Calcutta, India, and his wife Ise Togo
visited Bhutan at the invitation of Lyonchen Jigme Palden Dorji. They received an audience with
His Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and Her Majesty Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck
during the visit and this led to a long personal relationship between the Togos and the Royal
Family of Bhutan.
The connections with Dr Nakao and the Togos would eventually make Dasho Keiji Nishioka’s
posting in Bhutan in 1964 as the agriculture expert under the Colombo Plan possible. Dasho
Nishioka, a well-known name among the Bhutanese, played a crucial role in further nurturing the
relations between Japan and Bhutan by diligently and wholeheartedly working to improve the
agricultural practices and productivity of Bhutanese farmers with support from the Japanese
Government for 28 long years until his untimely death in 1992. His Majesty King Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck, the Third King, awarded him the Red Scarf and the title of ‘Dasho’ for his
unparalleled services to Bhutan in 1980.
Against this historical backdrop, let us look at the cultural traits that endear the Bhutanese and
Japanese to each other. Although separated by wide geographical distance, the Bhutanese and
Japanese have a lot of things in common that I am tempted to say that the Japanese probably has
the most cultural similarities with Bhutan as compared to any other nation. The reason for this
could be our shared Buddhist cultural heritage and the self-imposed isolation that both the
nations went through at some period of their history.
Externally, both Bhutanese and Japanese have similar physical appearance, and our traditional
dresses, Gho and Kimono, look similar too. We have many ancient fortresses called the Dzongs
just as the Japanese have their castles. Many of them were built around the same time. The slow-
paced living-with-nature kind of life in the valleys in Bhutan, with terraced rice fields and
traditional farm houses, evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, especially among the older generation
of Japanese.
Our way of life with stress on strict code of etiquette and discipline (Driglam Namzha),
hierarchical social structure, sense of loyalty to the King and Country and our quiet nature and
sense of humility are all characteristics highly valued in the traditional Japanese customs.
For instance, studying and living in Japan for more than five years, I found strong similarities
between the Bhutanese and the Japanese when it comes to standing up and giving one’s opinion
in a big crowd. Both would rather keep silent even if they have opinions to share. The same goes
about humility and debasing oneself when complimented. “No. No. I am not good!”, they would
say. A Japanese friend was taken aback when a foreigner responded seriously, “Thank you. Yes,
I am good” when he complimented that her Japanese was good.
Japanese do not take things for granted. They are very particular about how things are supposed
to be done. But Bhutanese often take things for granted and feel that it’s going to be okay even if
some things are not done strictly as required. So this is one difference between the Bhutanese
and the Japanese, among many similarities, to be aware of as this could sometimes lead to
misunderstanding.
The high importance attached to trust, gratitude and consideration for others (Omoiyari in
Japanese) are other cultural similarities between Bhutan and Japan. In Bhutan, forgetting to
show gratitude to people who have helped you is considered a very despicable and shameless act
as the proverbs equate that to “shitting in one’s plate” or “biting the hands that feed you”. In
Japan, gratitude is given even more importance, denoted by the concept of On (to be indebted for
a favour) and On Gaeshi (to return a favour). People generally will thank you for a favour every
time you meet them. “You did me a very great favour that day. Thank you”, they may repeat this
to you every time you meet them.
Thanks to such shared cultural values, both our people to people relations and our diplomatic
relations have been growing from strength to strength over the past many years. We have the
good fortune of enjoying the good will of many individual Japanese – professionals,
intellectuals, Govt. officials, politicians, businessmen and ordinary citizens - all of whom have
great concern for Bhutan, as we slowly tread the murky path of modernisation.
“Bhutan is a good country with sound policies, strong cultural values and good leadership. But
you also face many challenges such as youth unemployment, substance abuse etc. as you
embrace modernisation. You must tackle these problems well with a holistic long term
approach,” said a Japanese friend to me few months ago. “There is a group of people in Japan
who have real, genuine concern for Bhutan,” he added as if to reassure me.
Japan has the highest number of friendship associations dedicated to Bhutan as compared to any
other country. Quite a number of them actively help Bhutan by donating for Bhutan’s cause or
helping Bhutanese visitors to Japan. For instance, Chiiko Watanabe, Secretary General of Japan
Bhutan Friendship Association, and her husband are fondly known as Ama (mother) and Apa
(father) among the Bhutanese in Tokyo for their kindness and hospitality.

Bhutanese in Japan gathering at Ama (right, second row) and Apa’s (second from right, second
row) house in Tokyo

The strong people to people relations is further cemented by the high level official visits between
the countries. In particular, His Majesty the King’s visit to Japan in November 2011 made a
remarkable impression on the Japanese people because of his grace and compassion. In his
address to the National Diet of Japan, His Majesty said, “Japan has been one of the most
important development partners for Bhutan. Therefore, I am very happy to be able to thank the
government and the people of Japan who personally lived in Bhutan and worked with us, for
your steadfast support and goodwill for our Bhutanese people. I hereby pledge that it shall be my
constant endeavor to further strengthen and deepen the bonds between our two people.”
In May this year, Her Majesty the Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck and Her Royal
Highness Princess Dechen Yangzom Wangchuck visited Japan to inaugurate the Bhutan
Exhibition: “A Hint to Happiness” at the Ueno Royal Museum and met Emperor Akihito and
Empress Michiko.

In an unprecedented move, perhaps defying the standard protocol, Her Imperial Highness,
Empress Michiko called on His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen at the place where
the His Majesty was staying during the state visit in 2011 (Picture courtesy:
dorjiwangchuk.blogspot.com please confirm if you need permission from ROM).
Her Majesty the Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck and Her Royal Highness Princess
Dechen Yangzom Wangchuck with His Majesty Emperor Akihito and Her Majesty Empress
Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo (Photo courtesy: Kuensel)

As we celebrate this special bonds of friendship between Bhutan and Japan this year coinciding
with the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, we, the people of Bhutan
pray and wish that our friendship and understanding would grow even deeper in the future, as
His Majesty the King said in 2011, “Your generosity of spirit and the higher, greater natural
bond between our two peoples that is un-definable and yet so deep and spiritual – ensures that
Japan will always have a friend in Bhutan.”

About the author:

Tshering Cigay Dorji is the Chief Executive Officer of Thimphu TechPark, Bhutan’s first IT
Park. He spent 5.5 years studying in Japan and is the co-author of ‘Dasho Nishioka: a
Japanese who lived for Bhutan’.